However, the "Gang Leader" had communicated with Collins in advance, and Collins had also conveyed this "intention" to the Big Boss beforehand. Therefore, facing Kerr's opposition, the Gang Leader remained noncommittal, neither agreeing nor disagreeing. Instead, he gave Collins an ambiguous answer: "Let's hear the chips from other teams first!"
"Gerrard Green and Ilyasova have little trade value for now."
"Hu Weidong is still under contract and has no intention of leaving."
"Fox and Van Exel have decided to retire."
...
Well, after gaining He Xi Meng's consent, Fox finally decided to retire. If He Xi Meng hadn't asked him to come to the Celtics to mentor new players, he would have left the court two years ago and pursued his dreams in Hollywood.
However, these two seasons were not a loss for Fox.
Not only did he earn two more championship rings, but his acting career was also basically not delayed.
With He Xi Meng acting as a matchmaker, Fox had gradually progressed from an extra with no lines to an important supporting character with a specific persona, initially achieving his transformation dream.
As his acting career became increasingly busy, Fox found it difficult to balance both. Thus, he once again requested retirement from He Xi Meng.
This time, He Xi Meng fulfilled Fox's wish, allowing him to fully dedicate himself to his passion.
Life is a long journey, and besides basketball, there are indeed more beautiful things worth pursuing.
He Xi Meng, having lived two lives, had been striving for his basketball career. But no matter how beautiful the dream, after all the once unattainable goals were trampled underfoot, a hint of fatigue and weariness would arise for no apparent reason.
He Xi Meng had told the Gang Leader that he wanted to retire, told Kobe that he wanted to retire, and told Kerr that he wanted to retire. But no one believed that He Xi Meng would actually retire!
He Xi Meng, not yet thirty years old, was at the peak of his career, with no major injuries or other concerns. He was at the absolute pinnacle of the league and the world of basketball. Who would choose to retire at this time?
Even if he did retire, he would probably be like the Gang Leader, unable to stay away for even a season and would have to make a comeback... What's the point?
Only He Xi Meng himself knew that he was different from the Gang Leader.
After offering Fox his best wishes, He Xi Meng hugged and bid farewell to him, allowing Fox to pursue his new dreams in life.
Last season, Van Exel, following He Xi Meng's advice, did not choose the Spurs but the Celtics, successfully winning the championship ring he had longed for in his career.
Although his playing time with the Celtics was minimal this season, Van Exel shouldered a significant responsibility in practice.
Especially for Monta Ellis, his rapid offensive progress this season was inseparable from Van Exel's dedicated teaching.
Having experienced the joy of being an assistant coach, and facing the reality of his rapid decline in competitive form and the difficulty of establishing himself in the league, Van Exel decisively chose to retire!
Kerr also saw that Van Exel was doing well in coaching and accordingly invited him to join his team, becoming a new member of the Celtics' coaching staff.
This means that the Celtics will have two spots vacated by retiring veterans, which need to be filled in the free agent market.
Furthermore, with the departure of Ariza and Diogu, the Celtics' starting lineup needs to promote two backup players to complete the roster.
The upcoming draft has the Celtics with two draft picks: one at 30th overall in the first round and another at 30th overall in the second round. Both picks are at the bottom of their respective rounds.
"Let me think about who was in the 2006 draft class!
In the first round, there are Aldridge, Roy, Rudy Gay, JJ Redick, Rondo, Lowry...
In the second round, there are Milsap, PJ Tucker, Novak...
Overall, the achievements of the 2006 class are not particularly high.
Aldridge, Roy, and Gay were all selected in the top 10 of the first round. Acquiring them through a trade would be too costly.
JJ Redick, Rondo, and Lowry are all guards. Redick focuses on three-pointers, Lowry on organization and scoring, and Rondo on organization, defense, and rebounds... Hmm, it seems Rondo is the most suitable for the current Celtics' style of play. I just don't know if Rookie Rondo would have such a strong desire to direct..."
Thinking about whether Rondo, if drafted by the Celtics as in the original history, would clash with He Xi Meng in his rookie season, He Xi Meng suddenly felt that coaching Rondo would be something worth looking forward to. Therefore, he asked Collins if they could trade their first-round pick higher.
Collins, hearing that there was work to be done, immediately rubbed his hands excitedly: "There are no impossible trades in this league. If there are, it's because the chips aren't rich enough. If you give me enough chips, I can even trade Tim from the Spurs for you..."
"Stop! Stop! Forget Tim. It's best not to provoke the Spurs either. My demands are not high; I just hope you can trade our 30th pick in the first round for a pick around the 20th overall in the first round!"
"Around the 20th pick in the first round..." Collins quickly flipped through the draft order for today. "The 19th pick in the first round belongs to the Kings, the 20th pick in the first round belongs to the Knicks, and the 21st pick in the first round belongs to the Suns..."
"The Suns? What did you just say? The Suns want to poach Boris, right?"
"That's right! They've offered Boris a near-ten-million contract, and we're very likely to lose him..."
"Hmm, if we can't keep him, we can't. But can we discuss a sign-and-trade with Boris? I believe Boris will give us this much face. If you can't handle it, I can talk to Boris myself..."
"No problem! This small matter doesn't require your trouble!" Collins quickly patted his chest and agreed.
What a joke! It was finally a business deal, and it was Collins's time to showcase his work ability. How could he let He Xi Meng do it for him?
"Excellent! I want that 21st pick in the first round from the Suns. And for our 30th pick in the first round, it would be best if we could trade it for two high second-round picks."
"How high?"
"One at least in the top 5 of the second round, and one at least in the top 15 of the second round."
"Do we still want to keep our own 30th pick in the second round?"
"You don't have to keep it. You can use it as a chip. My requirements for the draft are these."
"What about other players from other teams in the league? Do you have anyone you're interested in? I can also arrange trades. As I said, as long as you give me enough chips, I can get any player in the league for you..."